The skin condition of each newborn baby can look yellowish, scaly, or maybe cracked because there are small spots. These conditions are actually reasonable. However, because newborn skin is still sensitive and prone to irritation, you must treat it in the right way.
Once born, babies need time to adapt to their new environment outside the womb. In this adaptation process, you may find things that are unique to the baby's physical condition, such as an asymmetrical head shape or the texture and color of his skin that can change.
Newborn Skin Conditions
The condition of the newborn's skin is determined by the length of the gestation period. Not all the uniqueness of newborn skin is something to worry about. Some of them are normal and will change as the baby gets older.
Here is the explanation:
Newborn baby's skin color and spots
When a newborn is born, the skin can be dark red or purplish. When he begins to breathe, his skin color will turn reddish or bright red.
In the first few hours or days, your baby's hands, feet, and lips may also turn bluish. This happens because the blood circulation is still not developed and is generally harmless if it is not accompanied by complaints, such as shortness of breath or looks weak.
Babies can also be born with blue patches on some parts of their bodies. These spots are called Mongol spots or congenital dermal melanocytosis. In addition, there may be a reddish rash on the chest, back, face, arms, and legs. This condition is called erythema toxicum and will disappear on its own within 1 week.
Some babies are also born with yellow skin or called baby jaundice. This happens because the liver is not mature enough to properly process and dispose of bilirubin into the digestive tract. This yellow color will usually go away on its own within 2-3 weeks.
Newborn skin texture
Newborns' skin is still thin and sensitive, so they are prone to irritation. Many newborns also experience prickly heat or milia on the nose, cheeks, under the eyes, or chin.
Some newborns can even have pimples on the face area called acne neonatorum. However, the condition will generally go away on its own over time.
Newborn skin will peel in the early weeks. This peeling occurs to shed the vernix, which is a thick layer that covers the baby's skin while in the womb. The amount and duration of exfoliation of newborns can vary, depending on whether the baby was born premature, full term, or late.
Tips for Caring for Newborn Baby's Skin
The baby's skin condition above is not something to worry about and does not need special treatment. However, considering that a newborn's skin is still sensitive and prone to irritation, you must maintain and care for his skin in the right way.
Here are tips for caring for newborn skin to avoid various skin problems:
- Do not bathe the baby too often. Frequent bathing can dry out the skin, making it more prone to irritation and infection.
- Clean the baby's skin surface with a soft washcloth. Rub the skin gently.
- Use baby soap or shampoo.
- Apply lotion to the baby's skin after he bathes to keep his skin moist.
- Avoid sprinkling powder on the newborn's body and keep it away from direct sunlight.
In addition to applying the methods above, another thing that is no less important in caring for newborn skin is choosing skin care products, such as soap, shampoo, or lotion, which are suitable for the baby's skin condition. If the skin care products used are not appropriate, the baby will be more at risk of developing skin irritations and main rashes.
Choose care products that are specially formulated for baby's skin and read hypoallergenic. This indicates that the product has a lower risk of causing an allergic reaction.
We recommend that you also choose a product labeled dermatologically tested. This means that the product has been tested on the skin.
Baby's skin has a slightly lower acidity (pH), which is around 5.5. Therefore, it is recommended that you use a product with a pH close to that number. However, if your baby's skin isn't having any problems and isn't dry, you can choose a product with a neutral pH.
You can also choose newborn skin care products that contain natural ingredients. Shea butter, sunflower seed oil, and almond oil are natural ingredients that can keep baby's skin moist and healthy.
In addition, products containing calendula Also good for baby's skin. Many studies show that calendula can increase skin moisture and is effective for treating primary rashes and skin inflammation.
If your baby's skin is still having problems even though you have used care products that are suitable for the newborn's skin condition and have implemented the methods above, you should check with a doctor so that the cause can be identified and given proper treatment.
